Nordic dietary guidelines associated with longer life

The new Nordic dietary guidelines, which consider both our health and the health of the planet, are associated with longer life according to a new study from Aarhus University.

Eat less meat, added sugar – and more whole grains, legumes, fish, and low-fat dairy products. Such are the recommendations of the Nordic dietary guidelines. Published in 2023, the guidelines were designed with both health and climate in mind. Now, research from Aarhus University shows that following them is directly linked to lower mortality. The study was led by Associate Professor Christina Dahm along side with PhD-Student Anne Bak Mørch.

“Our study shows that among middle-aged Swedish men and women who follow the guidelines, mortality is 23% lower compared with those who do not – even when factors such as education, income, and physical activity are taken into account. The study also reveals lower mortality from cancer and cardiovascular disease among those who are best at adhering to the guidelines,” she explains.

The researchers examined data from more than 76,000 Swedish men and women across two large population studies: the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men. Since 1997, participants have reported their dietary and lifestyle habits, providing a unique foundation for exploring the link between diet and health. The findings are significant for both human and planetary health, says Christina Dahm.

“Our results are relevant across the Nordic and Baltic countries, since national dietary guidelines are based on the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. We show that following the guidelines as a whole benefits public health. But our results also go further: because the recommendations take into account both nutritional value and climate impact, our research demonstrates that a sustainable Nordic diet benefits public health and the climate – and could serve as a model for other regional sustainable diets worldwide.”

Diet is a major contributor to climate change: around 30% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions come from our current food consumption and production. The Nordic dietary recommendations are therefore designed to balance human health with sustainability. This is the first study to examine the overall health benefits of the new guidelines.

“The study confirms that we can follow a Nordic diet to improve both our health and the climate – at least when it comes to preventing premature death,” says Christina Dahm.

Whether the diet also affects other health outcomes, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer, remains to be seen. Dahm and her research team hope to investigate this further in a forthcoming study.

About the study

• Study type: Prospective cohort study
• Collaborators: Associate Professor Daniel Borch Ibsen, AU. Professor Alicja Wolk, Karolinska Institutet –
• External funding: Faculty scholarship awarded to Anne Bak Mørch
• Conflicts of interest: None declared
• Peer review status: No deviations – the results are based on a peer-reviewed article published in a scientific journal
• Read the full article: ScienceDirect

Contact:

Associate Professor, Christina Dahm
Department of Public Health, Aarhus University
Institut for Folkesundhed, Health Aarhus Universitet
Phone +45 23 32 18 75
Mail: ccd@ph.au.dk